


Learn to Fly

by lostangelkira



Series: Mating Season [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cute, Fear of Heights, Fluff, Kid!Fic, M/M, One Shot, Sex, a little angst and comfort, fear of flight, flight, romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-12
Updated: 2013-11-12
Packaged: 2018-01-01 07:02:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1041815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostangelkira/pseuds/lostangelkira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Castiel have a wonderful family, with nine little ones running and flapping about. They're old enough to learn how to fly, but Dean still has a crippling fear of flying and heights. And Cas can't teach them by himself. With Cas upset and Dean sick of the crippling anxiety that comes with just thinking about flying, he's determined to fix it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learn to Fly

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first of many one shots in this series. It's possible I may do a longer piece in this universe again, but for now, I'm going to pen some of the ideas that have cropped up since finishing 'What Goes Around...Comes Around'.
> 
> This first piece is set just a month after the epilogue of 'What Goes Around...Comes Around'. So without further ado, enjoy!

*Dean*

 

His hands shook as he looked out over the cliff edge, feeling the color drain from his face when Gabriel dove off the edge, swooping back up after dropping several feet. Cassie and Danielle were hot on his trail, laughing as they clung to their papa before taking off again, this time Gabriel chasing them. Their four boys were not far off, swooping and playing catch with a ball they'd brought. He stepped back and went to sit next to Sam on the picnic blanket set up, his back against a large oak tree.

“Still afraid of heights, huh?” Sam asked, chuckling softly under his breath.

“Shut up, bitch,” Dean snapped, his wings flaring slightly. “You both are nuts...jumping off cliffs.”

“How do you think I felt when Gabriel first brought me here?” Sam asked. “It was a few months after the girls hatched. He pushed me off the edge. Instinct kicked in and I managed to get back up here. I chased him all over this clearing and halfway across the gorge before I realized that I wasn't even putting any thought into flying.”

“It's the easiest way to teach older angels,” Castiel replied simply, smiling softly as he watched the girls play with Gabriel. “It doesn't happen often, but sometimes, fledglings get left behind in learning to fly and nearly end up fully grown before learning. Younger angels, like our little ones...learn first to control their wings. Then we start them off with small drops of only a few feet until they're confident and capable for something like what Sam and Gabriel's children are doing.”

“They did catch on very quickly,” Sam all but purred, his pride evident. “I heard from Adam and Jody that their little ones are nearly ready to try their first drop before coming out here. They're going to be having them jump off the roof of their homes.”

Dean caught Castiel's wince at the news, but Cas smiled and nodded.

“That's great,” Cas replied, turning to grab some grapes. “I hope that it goes well for them.”

He could sense that Cas was hurting...and it was his fault. Castiel insisted that mates teach their fledglings how to fly together, that it takes a pair to ensure their safety and provide support and assurance. But until Dean could get over his issues with flying and heights, they couldn't take their children's lessons any further than how to control and conceal their wings. But every time he even gets near the edge of a large drop or has to get up on the roof of the house...he nearly freaks out and gets all clammy.

“How are your kids doing, anyway?” Sam asked. “I haven't seen them the last couple of times I've come over.”

Cas truly smiled, his hurt buried once again. “They are doing wonderfully. They're constantly out of the house with their friends, doing well in school. I'm extremely proud of them. And they're expressing eagerness in learning to fly.”

Dean knew that last comment was directed at him. Castiel was patient to a fault. But he knew it had to be wearing thin by now. A couple hours later, they packed up their things and headed home. After their last round of children had been hatched, Gabriel and Michael took the liberty of purchasing a majority of the land for sale surrounding Cas and Dean's property, then building homes for themselves, Lucifer and Adam...even another half a dozen for other couples that wanted to experience Earth and raise their children here. As Dean and Castiel were unlocking the door, Ellen showed up to drop off their little ones.

“I hope they didn't give you too much trouble,” he said, taking Molly and Jessica, two of their five daughters.

“Not at all,” she said with a smile, helping Cas with getting Amriel and Michael out of their car seats and out of the car. “They were all perfectly behaved. But I think little Tucker has a slight ear infection, he was pretty fussy and his ears look red and irritated.”

“We've got just the thing for that,” he replied, smiling as his eldest children ran off across the yard, tumbling about and laughing. “Thanks again for taking all nine of them. We needed a little time to unwind.”

“Anytime,” she said with a smile, helping get the rest of their little ones inside before leaving once again.

They were quiet as they got some medicine into Tucker's ears and got him put down for a nap. Once he was down and the others playing quietly in the upstairs playroom, Dean went downstairs, finding Castiel watching their three oldest children play in the backyard, through one of the kitchen windows. They were playing tag, their screams of joy and laughter carrying into the house. He pulled Cas against his chest, placing his arms around his waist, letting his wings curl around them both.

“I'm sorry, Cas,” he murmured against his neck. “I want our children to learn. I really do. It's just...it's hard to get over a lifetime of fear.”

“I understand,” Cas said quietly, his breath hitching. “But it needs to be soon or they're going to end up just like you. That's no way for any angel to live. Even you.”

Dean made him turn around and face him. He hated seeing the tears in his mate's eyes, that he put there. He wiped them away gently before he pulled him close, kissing him briefly.

“Don't worry, Cas,” he whispered to him, watching their children as he comforted his mate. “I'll take care of this. I swear to you, love.”

They stood there for several minutes, standing like that. The kids then chose to run inside, hugging them both tightly.

“Can we make cookies, papa?” Amriel asked, looking up at them. “Pretty please?”

“Sure we can,” Dean purred, smiling warmly as Cas chuckled softly. “Let's get started, shall we?”

 

**

 

That night, with Cas asleep and the kids all down for the night, Dean sat on their picnic table in the backyard, looking up at the stars. He sighed as a gentle breeze blew softly through the yard. Letting his wings spread, he enjoyed the feel of the gentle wind shifting through his feathers. They ached to be used...to fly. But even the thought of it had him sweating pretty badly. That's when the image of Cas silently crying in his arms earlier this afternoon came to the forefront of his mind. It made his heart ache terribly. His mate was hurting, wanting to share a very special part of their children's lives with him. It needed to stop. Dean grabbed the bottle of whiskey he'd brought out with him and took a long pull, ignoring the burn down the back of his throat as he swallowed. It took a hell of a lot more to get him messed up than it used to, but it helped him steel his nerves.

He made sure to be as quiet as possible as he went around to the garage's side door and went inside, grabbing the ladder. Placing it against the house, he slowly climbed up to the roof. His legs shook as he eased himself onto the gentlest slope. Once he was certain he wasn't going to slide, he kicked the ladder away from the house, letting it clatter to the ground. Knowing he was now trapped on the roof had his chest feeling tight, making it hard for him to breathe properly. But he pressed on, climbing to the highest point of the roof.

Vertigo hit him hard as he looked out over the landscape from his new vantage point, leaving him sway slightly. All of the other houses around them were dark and quiet, everyone no doubt in bed or just enjoying the quiet of the evening. Feeling himself start to list forward, he instinctively spread his wings wide, steadying his balance. He gasped as a particularly strong gust of wind caught in his wings and he was lifted an inch or so off the roof. Panic had him draw his wings in tight to his body. He fell back onto the roof, sliding down it slightly. His heart hammered in his chest as he got back on his feet, keeping his wings tight to his body.

“I'm fucking insane,” he muttered to himself as he stood on the top of their roof, waiting for the wind to die out.

When the air went still, he slowly spread his wings again. He flapped hard several times, actually lifting off the roof a good six inches. His stomach felt like it was going to drop out of his ass, but he was able to keep himself calm, knowing he was in control. Dean slowed his flapping, easing back down onto his feet and refolded his wings against his back. Looking at the stars again, he knew it was now or never. This was why he'd kicked the ladder away from the house. There was no easy way out of this situation. He had two options; either fall off the roof...or fly. As afraid of flying and heights as he was, he was fucking done with letting it kick his ass and making him miss out on one of the biggest milestones of his children's lives.

“If you're listening, God, Chuck...Father...whatever I call you,” he sighed, “At least don't let me break my stupid ass neck if I do fall off the roof.”

Taking a deep breath and counting to three, Dean ran and jumped off the roof. The sight of the ground rushing up at him had him panic briefly. His wings snapped open of their own accord and flapped hard. His body was propelled upward, skimming the ground before shooting upward quickly. He just let his body go and he started to climb higher and higher. When he finally levelled off, Dean could feel the currents of air holding him up, making it a lot easier to keep aloft. Looking down at the ground, he could barely make out their houses, passing over Bobby's and the salvage yard just now.

The panic he'd felt before...it was gone. The view he had of the Earth below him was amazing. He dipped his left wing low, turning to the left before pulling his wings in tight to his back. His heart and stomach leapt up into his throat as he fell. Swallowing hard, he kept it up, falling faster towards the ground.

“I'm in control,” he told himself, still falling. “I can pull out of this at any time. I can do this.”

When he was just over the cherry tree in their backyard, he snapped his wings open and rocketed back up into the sky, just as easily as the first time. He couldn't contain his laughter as he spun wildly. Pulling out of the spin, Dean continued upwards, until he was far above the clouds, the stars super clear. After practicing a few dives and rolls, his wings began to ache. Dean took a deep breath as he started to descend, planning the landing. He was careful to slow himself so he didn't overshoot the house, but not so much he'd have to walk a mile to get home. Of course, this being his first official landing...there were errors. He had just a little too much speed and when his feet touched the ground, he pitched forward, falling flat on his face and skidding at least a foot or two before coming to a stop.

“Ow,” he muttered, pulling himself off the ground, dirt covering his face and arms. “Definitely need to work on landing.”

“I agree with you on that,” he heard Castiel say.

Dean quickly turned to see his mate sitting on the back step. He couldn't stop himself from blushing, feeling horribly embarrassed that anyone witnessed his epic fail of a landing. Castiel handed him the towel.

“Thanks, Cas,” Dean said softly, finally looking him in the eye.

Castiel was beaming, purring low in his throat as he pulled him in for a kiss. Dean groaned softly as he took charge, pulling Cas close.

“You looked amazing up there,” Cas murmured to him softly. “I'm proud of you, Dean.”

“How long were you watching me?” Dean asked. “Who's with the kids in case they wake up?”

“Sam called me and said you were climbing on the roof,” Cas told him. “I asked him to come over and stay with the little ones. Watching you discover the joy of flight the way you did...it was priceless.”

“I'm glad I could give you that,” Dean said with a purr, pulling him in for another kiss.

Cas moaned softly, practically melting in his arms. He let out a groan as Cas rubbed up against him just the right way, getting him good and hard. But when Dean went to pull him up into his arms, Castiel pulled away, a mischevious grin on his face. Before he could ask what was wrong, Cas ran for the field behind their house, pulling his clothes off and taking to the sky naked. Dean was very puzzled, but followed suit, ignoring the ache in his wings as he snapped his clothes off and took to the sky. 

Dean chased after Castiel, a low growl rumbling in his chest as his mate evaded him, laughing as he playfully swatted and dodged him. He went higher, above the clouds, waiting for the right moment. A break in the clouds revealed Cas below him, his jet black wings shimmering in the moonlight. Grinning, Dean dove down and grabbed Castiel, pulling him tight to his body. Cas moaned loudly, arching into him.

“Bet this is why you wanted me to learn to fly,” he purred in Cas's ear as he eased into his quickly prepared body, more than turned on by the chase. “You kinky son of a bitch.”

“It...ohh...was a....ah...passing thought,” Cas panted, Dean managed to turn him in his arms, thrusting into him roughly.

Cas moved with him fluidly, Dean tucking his wings in close to his body. The sensation of tumbling through the clouds and towards the earth added an edge to the sex, both of them moving roughly against one another, Cas biting his neck and clawing his sides as he rode him hard, plummeting to the ground. When Dean bit Cas's neck on a hard thrust into him, they both came, Cas's spending ending up all over their chests, arms and faces. He snapped his wings open and pulled out of their dive still thousands of feet in the air. Dean managed to make a smooth landing along the edge of the field right behind their house, lying in the soft, tall grass.

“I have to admit, Cas,” Dean panted, resting his forehead against his. “That was amazing. I love you so much, Cas. Of all the things I've been through, throwing myself off our roof was completely worth the risk. You know I'll do anything for you...for the kids.”

“I know, Dean,” he purred, spreading his wings around them, his feathers shuffling together with his. “I've fallen through fire for you. Rebelled...nearly tore Heaven to pieces. And all for you. There's no lengths I won't go to for our family.”

They shared a few soft kisses before Dean pulled Cas close and draped his wing over them both, dozing off not long after.

 

**

 

Dean woke to the sound of birds singing sweetly, shivering slightly from the breeze blowing. Wait... He shot up, now wide awake, his face turning bright red. He and Cas were buck naked in the field just behind the house.

“Morning, Dean-o!” Gabriel called out, carrying a tray of coffee and homemade pastries. “Sleep well?”

“Just fine,” he answered slowly, nudging Cas. “Love, wake up. It's morning.”

“Five more minutes,” Cas murmured, curling around him.

“Cas, come on,” he hissed in his ear. “We're outside...naked...and Gabriel is staring at us.”

That got Castiel up. Blinking sleepily, he flushed from head to toe, curling his wings around himself to make himself a little more decent. Gabriel just rolled his eyes and laughed. Dean growled a little in the back of his throat as they got to their feet.

“Easy, big boy,” Gabriel sighed, snapping his fingers and clothing them in simple sweats and shirts. “You know I've only got eyes for Sammy.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean grumbled, the two of them sitting at the picnic table, pouring coffee and grabbing a danish. “Sorry about last night.”

“Forget about it,” Gabriel said with a smile. “From what Sam told me, you both needed the time to yourselves last night.” He looked at Dean. “Heard you finally had your first flight. As well as your first mid-flight mating.”

“How did you know that?” Dean asked, his face feeling sunburned with how hard he was flushed.

“Aside from finding you two curled around each other naked in a field...Bobby called last night. Said he heard shouting and moaning last night, so he got out his telescope. He mentioned needing a few gallons of brain bleach. And Sam happened to catch your big finish as he was passing by the picture window,” Gabriel replied, unable to stop from grinning as both he and Cas no doubt turned bright red. “Perhaps next time...you can take your flights a little further away from home, ok?”

“Duly noted,” Cas muttered, sipping at his coffee.

Dean held him close as they ate their breakfast, pointedly ignoring Gabriel and his snark.

 

Two months later...

 

“Easy, Jon,” Dean chuckled as his son squirmed, trying to get down to play with his cousins, Michael and Lucifer's kids as well. “You stay where uncle Sam and Gabe can see you, got it?”

“Yes, papa!” he called, running over and pouncing on Katherine, making her squeal.

Their other eight children were content to stay with them, their wings shifting uneasily against their backs.

“Today's the day, kids,” Castiel said excitedly. “You're going to take your first flight.”

“I'm scared,” Molly whimpered, clinging to Dean's leg tightly.

He pulled her into his arms and held her close, running a hand over her feathers.

“It's ok to be scared, sweetheart,” he whispered to her. “But you can't let it control you. Look at me; I went years afraid to death of flying or even getting up on the roof of our house. But I faced it head on and just jumped off the roof. Besides, you've never been scared during your lessons.”

“Because you or Papa were always waiting below...to catch me if I fell,” she told him, looking up at him with her brillant yellow eyes, on the verge of tears.

“I'll always be there to catch you, Molly,” he told her, giving her a kiss before setting her down.

She held his hand tightly as they stood on the edge of the cliff, feeling a rush as the wind picked up, blowing through their hair and feathers. Giving her hand a squeeze, Dean let go and stepped to the side a couple steps.

“Alright,” Castiel sighed. “Are all of you ready?” They all nodded or chirped out an excited yes, Jon and Mike practically vibrating with it. “Now, remember what we've taught you and you'll be fine. If you feel panic set in, just take a deep breath and let go of control. Your body will know what to do, even if you're not sure. On the count of three. One...two..three!”

At three, all nine of their children jumped clear of the cliff, Dean and Cas right alongside them. One by one, each of their little ones did exactly as they'd been taught, eventually flying high above the cliff, smiling and waving to Sam, Gabriel and the others waiting their turn. They'd all agreed to give each family space to let the young ones get accustomed to flight. Molly wavered a bit, but soon was zipping past all her brothers and sisters, even going so far as to climb up to the clouds. Dean followed her, making sure she didn't get frightened or overwhelmed.

“What did I tell you?” he asked her, coming up from below, cuffing her head gently with the tip of his right wing as he levelled off beside her. “I'm always here for you, angel. And you're a natural at this. You've climbed higher than any of your siblings dared to.”

“Guess I take after you, huh?” she asked him, moving to where he could pull her into his arms for a hug.

Dean chuckled, kissing the top of her head as he started to descend, the rest of their family coming in so Michael and Jody could take their kids off the cliff. “That you do, munchkin. That you do.”

Once they were back on the ground, the children went to stand with Sam and Gabriel, watching the next set prepare to take to the skies for the first time. They started talking with their cousins excitedly, sharing their experience.

“Molly is going to be a little hellraiser when she grows up,” Dean purred as Cas came up beside him, tucking his arm around his waist. “Just wait and see.”

“She does take after you an awful lot, Dean,” Cas added, smiling as their children watched some of their closest friends take their first dive. “Same with Andrew and Becky.”

“Yeah, well...Michael, Jessica and Diniel take after you with their wide eyed staring when they climb into our bed in the morning,” Dean said, draping a wing across Cas's shoulders. “Scares the hell out of me some mornings.” He leaned close and kissed Cas's temple. “And I wouldn't trade any of it for anything.”

“Ditto,” Cas whispered as they watched the next generation of guardians and peacekeepers take to the skies.

Nothing could compare to watching the future unfold before them, unable to stop wondering what time holds in store for them all.

 

The End


End file.
